Treatment Options

We all have experienced or know of someone who is experiencing the symptoms of mental health issues. It is important that we work together to build awareness of new solutions for treatment. Mental health issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD all have a variety of treatment methods. While certain methods may work for some people, others have trouble finding a solution. Below are some treatment options to consider for these disorders that you might not know about.

Antidepressants And Other Medications

Medication is probably the most widely used treatment for depression, anxiety and PTSD. While they come in a variety of forms, the work to regulate the chemicals in our brains. Our brains use serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine to regulate our mood, but when this regulation does not work effectively, we can be stuck feeling sadness or depression. Antidepressants work to stabilize this regulation giving us some relief from the negative thoughts and emotions. Medications can be very effective in treating mental health disorders, but finding the right medication and proper dose can be a trying process and some never seem to find relief at all.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves talking through the issues that depression and anxiety bring either with a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or other professional trained in mental health. During sessions you talk through what you are experiencing and learn how to work through the challenges that you are facing. For mild cases, psychotherapy may be enough to be an effective treatment. It can help you understand why you might be feeling the way you are feeling and how to take steps to change.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

If depression symptoms are severe and no other treatment is working, doctors may recommend Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). During this procedure, a seizure-inducing, electric current is sent through the patient’s brain while they are under anesthesia. This electric current is proven to alleviate symptoms of depression, but there are always added risks during the procedure. ECT is often given over the course of 4 weeks, but there are sometimes negative side effects that may last longer than the actual treatment period.

Ketamine Treatments

Ketamine had originally been used as in anesthesia, but studies have found that it is effective at treating a variety of mental illnesses. More recently, ketamine has been shown to help repair the neural pathways that are responsible for the transmission of Glutamate, an important neurotransmitter for normal brain function. Once ketamine is administered and metabolized, the brain is essentially rewired to not only more easily process events of the past, but better handle new stress factors in the future.

Beyond the experience happening while the treatment is occurring, there is strong scientific research showing that hours after the treatment when ketamine is metabolized in the body, it is stripping away the depression and suicidal ideation.

Industry publications including Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) and the National Institute of (NIH) reference this, making ketamine effective within hours rather than weeks or months. Ketamine for depression is one of the biggest breakthroughs ever in mental health because it is highly effective and works immediately.